The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-29
A Coil of Wire.

made into fine wireP The process II
interesting. How do the steel blooms
become finely pol shed wire? The man
ufacture Is pecul ar. The bloom. as
we follow 1t in the wire factory, Is ilrs,
cut INTO billeis some twenty inches long
and four inches square, These are
brought red hot from the inrnac IS and
slipped between the rolls. In mo
ment the billet of steel becomes u stout
ilbery serpent. A man at the opposite
side of the furnace nips II around the
neck with the tOngs and Sins * head
between The next aud smaller pair ol
rolls, so that before the tail Of the RED
serpent has emerged from between the
larger rolls, the head has been squeez'
ed TO smaller dimensions IN the second
rolls. The same process is repeated
again after the rod has passed through
the second roll, workmen being ready
10 seize the serpent, twist his body
around and let his head he caught by
The third roll, Thus il 5 passed on, eacf
time becoming longer and thinner,
and the billet, after passing through
eighteen rolls. becomes Il wire rod. A.
the rod passes through the last roll II
is conveyed through a pipe three inches
in circumference. As ii wrigges out OF
the pipe in twisted form it is thrown
across the iron floor of the factory Of
wire mill. The rolls are kept constant
" at work. for one rod has no sooner
passed through the first roll thar
another enters il, and as the rod grows
in length one end may be passing on
across the floor while the other is hal
Il dozen rolls in the rear. Thus II
twists its dull-red. thread-like length
like serpent IN and out of the rolls,
often near the ankles of the wOrkmen,
ready with their longs to guide il on
ward in its devious windings. When
the rod is al last spun out upon the
floor the end is taken up and twisted
upon reel, which rapidly winds it in
20 q coil.
After the rods leave the blooming
mill'' they are taken to the wire mill, y
where they are hung around wooden
blocks, perhaps half dozen coils or
each block, which are lowered into
huge tubs of sulphuric acid, and al
lowed to remain there until the acid
has removed the impurities from the
surface The blocks are then raised
BY pulley, and the rods are thrown
upon the floor and washed with the
hose. Having been loaded on trucks
and dried. one end Of each rod is point
ed By revolving machine SO as ia
pass into the die which is to draw the
rods into wire. Having been removed
10 The wire blocks the rods are then
drawn by being passed through a tap
ermg hole in steel die.
The steel rod, having thus been
transformed into wire. IS taken to the
HlntdlHp ihl n"p0' Nh'lo ~ ~ "'''"'
ed and polished by secret process The
W re, which has hitherto been of dull
brown color. IS given bright polish
by the anneaing and the cleaning
which it afterward receives. Having
been removed to the galvaniz ne house.
he wire run over n series of wheels
and slides which stretch il from the
floor horizontally, and, working an.
Dramatically. dips the wire in lime every
time { reaches the floor. In gslvaniz-
ing. The process consisting of the wire
passing through solution of muriatic
acid and gravel. next through n driving
furnace, and afterward through u
metal bath of ENC. The wire next
passes "wiping box, y filled with min
eral wool, VIII Oh is agiated by mum.
her of rollers. This substance wines
of the surplus zinc, and bestows upon
he wire q smooth surface. The long
line of WIRE which now has bright,
s'lvcry appearance. is then bundled up
in reels ready for the market, each reel
weigh NJ about 100 pounds Pttsb~rg
or. Wheeiing Register.